Hi!
Here’s the core idea behind this approach:
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Any track can be used as a group (for example, to process signal from other tracks) by routing signal into it via sidechain.
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An empty event on a track can store snapshots of all inserts, sends, and essentially any track state that is automatable.
Let me illustrate with an example.
The first insert plugin is one that allows sidechain monitoring — for instance, FabFilter Pro-C 2 can do this.
The next insert could be, say, an algorithmic reverb.
On the track, we create a short event by writing automation.
The automation within that event corresponds to the settings of the reverb.
There can be many such dummy events on the track.
Each event stores a snapshot of all insert plugins and track states.
We can move these events around, edit them (adjust start and end points), and effectively place the required preset (snapshot) exactly where needed.
Most importantly, we can rename and color-code these events, which makes automation much more visual and easy to manage.
A practical application — film sound post-production
In film post, this track with automation can function as a group for sending DX to a reverb.
An example of this workflow is shown in the image
In essence, reverb automation becomes a matter of editing events.
However, there is one small drawback, which I’ve described in detail here:
regards, Alex